Article III, Sec. 3-1517

Floodplain

• AccessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. structure maximum area600 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

  Accessory structures in the SFHA shall be limited to no more than 600 square feet in total floor area if not elevated or dryproofed.

• Anchoring

  New construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement.

• Manufactured homeManufactured homeA dwelling built in a factory to a federal standard and transported to the site. anchoring

  Manufactured homes shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.

• Flood-resistant materials

  New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage.

• Minimize flood damage

  New construction or substantial improvements shall be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damage.

• Non-residential lowest floor elevation18 inches

  New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial, or non-residential building shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood level plus 18 inches.

• Non-residential floodproofing

  Buildings in A1-30, AE, and AH zones may be flood-proofed in lieu of being elevated provided that all areas below BFE plus two feet are watertight and certified by a professional engineer or architect.

• OverlayOverlay districtA second set of rules laid over the base district, adding requirements without replacing it. concept

  The floodplain districts shall be overlays to the existing underlying districts; more restrictive provisions apply.

• Recreational vehicle time limit180 days

  Recreational vehicles must be on site for fewer than 180 consecutive days and be ready for highway use, or meet all requirements for manufactured homes.

• Residential lowest floor elevation18 inches

  New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure in Zones A1-30, AE, AH and A with detailed base flood elevations shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood level plus eighteen (18) inches.

• Sanitary sewage systems

  New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the systems and discharges from the systems into flood waters.

• Space below lowest floor

  Fully enclosed areas below the regulatory flood protection elevation shall not be used for human habitation, only for parking, building access, or limited storage; must have flood openings meeting criteria.

• Subdivision BFE data

  Base flood elevation data shall be obtained from other sources or developed using detailed methodologies for subdivision proposals exceeding 50 lots or five acres.

• Subdivision drainage

  All subdivision proposals shall have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards.

• Subdivision public utilitiesPublic utilitiesInfrastructure serving the wider area — substations, pump stations, towers.

  All subdivision proposals shall have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical and water systems located and constructed to minimize flood damage.

• Utility equipment elevation

  Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning equipment and other service facilities shall be designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding.

• VarianceVariancePermission to depart from a specific dimensional rule, granted on a showing of hardship. accessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. structure max600 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

  No variance shall be granted for an accessory structure exceeding 600 square feet.

• VarianceVariancePermission to depart from a specific dimensional rule, granted on a showing of hardship. lot size limit0.5 acresacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.

  Variances generally limited to a lot size less than one-half acre.

• On-site waste disposal

  On-site waste disposal systems shall be located and constructed to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding.

• Water supply systems

  New and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system.